Thursday, October 05, 2006

Will the DUP move on?

Well as you're probably aware by now the latest report from the Independent Monitoring Commission has stated that the Provisional IRA has changed radically and that most of its important structures are now dismantled.

The report has been widely welcomed. NI's Chief Constable Hugh Orde has stated he "broadly accepts" the latest report on IRA activity. British PM Tony Blair hailed it as evidence that the campaign by the Provos was over while Secretary of State Peter Hain heralded it as "seismic", "historic", "irreversible", "fantastic" and "excellent". Taoiseach and loan collector Bertie Ahern regarded it as "clear-cut" proof the IRA was following through on its pledge to abandon violence.Still, one man is not yet convinced. Guess who? Yep, that's right - Ian Paisley. Dr pessimist is now seeking talks with the IMC to ascertain if the measures taken by the IRA are "permanent and irreversible".

Geez, it's almost as if he DOESN'T want the IRA campaign to be over. But that can't be it right?

'Shit, thoy wor serioushhh'

I think it's pretty clear to even the most cynical of cynics (bar the nut above) that the Provisional IRA's campaign is long over. My own feeling is that the campaign was finished for good on September 11th, 2001. From that point on their terrorist activity was not going to be ignored or tolerated any longer. Time has moved on. They have moved on. In fact, pretty much all of us have moved on with the exception of...Ian Paisley.

Yes this dinosaur sadly persists in growling out his absurdities when most of us just want to see the people of the North move on and achieve a standard of living on a par with ourselves south of the border and the British across the water.

This tired old fool of unionism however yearns for the dark old days of the past. Well I think it's time that he was made move on with everybody else.

It's been a long time since I've done a poll here on United Irelander so I've added one on my sidebar which asks:

Will the DUP move on and work to restore the North's institutions?

Please take the time to vote. My own view is that the DUP will not work to restore devolution. They are too negative, too hostile and too backward to accept the fresh opportunity that awaits the people of the North. Instead they will continue to delay and stall and keep the people of NI in the stranglehold of sectarianism.